LDS Church has Spent 1.2 Billion on Welfare and Humanitarian Efforts

18 Jul 2016
Posted by Kelly Frazier

In 2015 alone the Church responded to 177 emergency situations in 56 countries.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is widely known for the humanitarian services that it provides worldwide. Last month, during a lecture given at the University of Oxford, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church said that the Church spends around $40 million on humanitarian, welfare, and other charity projects, worldwide, each year. It has been doing that for the past 30 years. Also, volunteers from the Church devote millions of hours of labor each year to assist in the projects.

Going by the figure provided by Elder Oaks, the LDS Church has so far spent about $1.2 billion in humanitarian and welfare efforts.

“Through a theology of obedience and sacrifice and a strong commitment to tithing and service, Latter-day Saints are model citizens” -Professor Ram Cnaan

Elder Oaks further said that in 2015, the Church responded to 177 emergency situations in 56 countries. Apart from that, they also initiated a large number of projects that included providing clean water, vision care, and immunization, which actually impacted more than one million people. The Church provides these services without any regard to the religious affiliation of a person. Also, the humanitarian efforts of the Church are separate from the worldwide missionary efforts of the LDS Church.

The LDS Church members donate their time with no expectation of reward, publicity or praise, emphasizes the Church. As the disciples of Jesus Christ, they are following what Jesus asked them to do, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and so on.

According to the Church, a good portion of the administrative and overhead costs associated with the various humanitarian programs are privately fronted by the Church itself.

Last year, it was Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, another member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church that shared with the world about the humanitarian efforts of the Church. He did this while addressing a gathering in the Houses of Parliament located at the Westminster Palace. At that time, he pointed out the 132 disasters that the Church responded to during the previous year, including the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, a major typhoon in the Philippines, and the Iraq/Syria refugee crisis.

The humanitarian and welfare efforts of the Church is coordinated by the Church department known as LDS Philanthropies, under the direction of the Presiding Bishop.

According to the Church, the success of the welfare programs could mainly be attributed to the efforts of individual LDS congregants and their neighbors. They voluntarily provide their time and support and give money to help those in need.